RN to B.S. in Nursing

Program Overview

The RN to B.S. degree completion option at Towson University can help you broaden your nursing practice skills and build a solid foundation for developing an area of specialization. You will gain the education you need to assume expanding nursing roles that require greater problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, both within health care institutions and the community. The RN to B.S. option builds on your previous learning and offers nursing courses that are designed to improve your professional nursing practice.

The RN to B.S. option is available at three locations: the Towson University main campus, the TU in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE) campus, and the University of Maryland System Hagerstown (USMH) center.

Degree Completion Curriculum

This is a flexible option designed to meet the needs of working RNs. The program can be completed at a pace that suits a student's individual needs. At the start of the program, new students will meets with an academic advisor to review the degree completion curriculum and map out a plan of study based on their individual needs and goals.

Year-round, part-time enrollment is recommended for working RNs. Up to 90% of the RN to B.S. curriculum can be completed via online courses. Students who require full-time enrollment or in-person courses should contact the Department of Nursing before applying.

Students will work closely with an academic advisor to follow a plan for success in completing the degree requirements. View more information about degree requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Admission to RN-BS Option

Admission to the RN to B.S. option is offered in the fall and spring terms.  Enrollment at the university as an undergraduate, degree-seeking student is required to begin the nursing major. You must submit an application to both the university and the nursing major by their respective application deadlines.

Before applying, please review our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to common academic, admission, and financial questions.

Nursing Application Deadlines

For priority consideration, students must submit their nursing application and materials by these deadline:

• Spring Admission: November 1st
• Fall Admission: May 1st

Applications may be accepted after the deadlines based on space availability. However, applications submitted after the deadline are not automatically reviewed. If you are interested in applying after the deadline has passed, you must first contact the Department of Nursing before submitting an application to confirm whether applications are still being accepted.

Admission Criteria

In order to be screened for admission, RN to B.S. applications must meet the following admission criteria: 

• Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50

  • Cumulative GPA includes all colleges/universities attended, not just your most recently attended school
• Completion of prerequisite courses completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher by the start of the program*:
  • General Chemistry with Lab (4 credits)
  • Nutrition for Health Professionals (3 credits)
  • Microbiology with Lab (4 credits)
• Completion of a state-approved diploma** or associate’s degree nursing program
• Active, unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse (RN) in Maryland or a compact state

*Students must also complete a basic statistics course prior to enrollment in the  program's required nursing research course. Statistics is not required for admission, but we strongly recommend that students complete this requirement before the start of the program.

**Nursing diploma graduates and students with international nursing education may be required to complete additional courses required for the bachelor's degree.

You may apply to the RN to B.S. option in the final term of your associate degree and/or while prerequisites are still in progress. Any offer of admission would be contingent upon completion of all prerequisites, the associate degree, and RN licensure by the start of the program.

Application Process

Applicants must follow the instructions below. Please pay careful attention to the instructions, especially regarding transcript submission:

1. Complete the NursingCAS application.
   1. Select your intended start term to be directed to the appropriate login for NursingCAS.
   2. Applicants will need to create a NursingCAS application account to get started. The email used to create the NursingCAS account will be used for all application communications.
   3. NursingCAS charges an application fee of $60 for a student's first application and $45 for any additional undergraduate program applications.
   4. The NursingCAS application requires time to complete all required sections, including entering all courses from all transcripts and identifying the courses that apply to each prerequisite. Students cannot wait until the deadline to begin their application due to the time it requires. NursingCAS does offer paid assistance for transcript entry as an option.
2. Request that official transcripts from all US institutions attended be sent directly to NursingCAS.
   
   1. Do not submit transcripts to Towson University. The Department of Nursing does not have access to TU transcript files and cannot input transcripts into NursingCAS on your behalf.
   2. Transcripts can be ordered directly within the NursingCAS application. Please follow the NursingCAS directions exactly as provided to ensure timely processing of your transcripts.
   3. This includes Towson University transcripts and any high school dual enrollment transcripts. Failure to report all undergraduate enrollment may result in a rejected application.
   4. Submission of any graduate transcripts is optional but encouraged.
   5. Transcripts must include grades for the most recent course work completed including summer or winter courses. Please verify all recently completed coursework have grades posted before requesting your official transcripts.
3. International Applicants: Any international coursework requires a course-by-course credential evaluation from one of the credential evaluation services accepted by the university. International credential evaluations must be sent to NursingCAS using one of the following options:
   1. Use the World Education Services (WES) link in the Academic History section of the application to order your official WES evaluation
   2. Use the “Download Evaluation Request Form” in the Academic History section of the application to request an evaluation from an evaluation service other than WES.

University Application & Enrollment

Application to the major is not an application to the university.  Admission to and enrollment at Towson University is required in order to enroll in the major, but it is not required by the time you apply to the major.

Students who are not currently enrolled at TU must complete the appropriate application to enroll at the university if admitted. If you are not currently enrolled at TU, please review the following resources to ensure that you understand what you must do to enroll.

1. Transfer Admissions - If you have not completed a bachelor's degree and are seeking to transfer from another college/university
2. Second Bachelor Degree Admissions - If you already have completed a bachelor's degree at TU or another college/university
3. Reenrollment - If you previously attended TU as an undergraduate degree-seeking student, have not attended in at least one regular academic term (fall/spring), and have not completed a bachelor's degree since attending.

New or returning TU students do not need to resubmit transcripts to TU after submitting in NursingCAS. The transcripts provided as part of the nursing application can be shared with University Admissions or Reenrollment once your nursing application has been processed.

Admission Screening

Applications will only be reviewed after the application deadline has passed. Admission to the option is determined by the Towson University Department of Nursing. All admission decisions will be communicated via email.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this program or the application process, please contact us.